The FIFA Council has approved changes to the soccer governing body’s regulations to further provide additional protection to the well-being of female players and coaches, it said in a statement.
The changes, announced in a statement on Friday, come into force on June 1 and will extend the rights and protections to adoptive parents as well as non-biological mothers.
The new regulations will also recognise the “physical, psychological and social dimensions in the event of an inability to provide employment services due to severe menstruation, or medical complications relating to pregnancy” .
Member associations will also be encouraged to allow female players to have contact with their families while on international duty.
“FIFA is committed to implementing a dynamic regulatory framework that is sound and suitable for the increasing needs of female players and coaches,” FIFA chief legal Emilio Garcia Silvero said.
“As a modern organisation, it’s FIFA’s duty to listen to the main actors and adapt its regulations to the ever more complex dynamics of professional football,” he added.
Several players have repeatedly drawn attention to the special requirements for women in football. Some of them, such as former Germany players Melanie Leupolz and Svenja Huth, have retired from international duty after becoming mothers.
Source Agencies
